We’re here to
get you out there.
Since 2015, we’ve helped over 150 brands and thousands of people get the right attention and accelerate their growth. Our team is ready to do the same for you.
Clients in
WHAT WE KNOW
You can get attention
without a publicist.
That’s why we created the groundbreaking program, Empowered PR. But if you want us to take it off your plate, our agency can do just that.
Your strategy should
follow the audience.
Yes, we prioritize getting attention from journalists — but we pay equal attention to podcasts, Substacks, YouTubers, and content creators. Audiences are headed there, and it’s where you should be, too.
To stand out,
own the conversation.
Most people and brands just react to the news cycle. We empower you to lead it — that’s why we also offer services like speechwriting, article ghostwriting, and book proposal development.
About Tracy Samantha Schmidt
Founder and CEO, The PR Accelerator
Tracy Samantha Schmidt is a trusted strategist to influential entrepreneurs, bestselling authors, speakers, artists, and every kind of brand, helping them earn attention, build reputations, and craft narratives that resonate. She began her career as TIME Magazine's youngest reporter, covering the rise of social media and pioneering new ways to report the news. Her master's thesis on the resurgence of young nuns ran in TIME and was covered by The Today Show, Oprah, MTV, and Vogue.
Tracy later co-founded ChicagoNow.com, the Chicago Tribune’s groundbreaking blog and influencer network, and later led global social media strategy at Crain Communications, unifying the efforts of 18 newsrooms and training hundreds of journalists. She’s been a frequent commentator on ABC, CBS, and FOX, and has taught thousands of professionals how to build personal brands. She also taught marketing at the University of Chicago for a decade and taught graduate-level journalism at several universities.
From 2015 to 2022, Tracy advised over 100 brands on marketing and communications with a social media lens. In 2022, Tracy disrupted the traditional agency model by launching The PR Accelerator to empower clients to secure sustained attention without a publicist. The company is now a full-service PR and branding agency, powered by a team of trusted experts.
Today, she splits her time between Chicago and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where she and her husband are restoring a historic general store and starting an off-the-grid lavender farm.
Select clients
Aether Biomedical • Advocate Healthcare • Aging Together • American Library Association • American Society of Anesthesiologists • Anderson Wanca • Brightpoint • The Chicago Network • Chicago Council on Global Affairs • City of Chicago • Crain Communications • Dominican University • Elmhurst University • Globowl • Gundir • i.c.stars • Institute for Nonviolence Chicago • The Joffrey Ballet • Keenan Reid Strategies • Kin + Carta • Lake Forest University • MTG Media Group • National Association of Broadcasters • National Association of Realtors • NORC at the University of Chicago • The Northwood Group • OKRP • Oliva Partners Management • Origin Investments • Redding Futures • Results Resourcing • Rotary International • Signal + Cipher • Technori • UI LABS • Unify America • University of Chicago • University of Illinois • Uptake Technologies • Windy City Indie • YPO
Meet our partners
Our team of experts is at the top of their game, each bringing extensive experience in marketing and communications for brands of all kinds.
Lauren Viera
Communications Strategist, Content Director, and Writer
Lauren’s articles and essays have appeared in books and publications, including the New York Times Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Magazine, and Time Out Chicago, where she was an editor, and the Chicago Tribune, where she was a staff writer. After leaving the Tribune, Lauren was recruited to Leo Burnett Chicago as a content writer on the agency’s flagship brand.
Her guidebook, 500 Hidden Secrets of Chicago (Luster, 2023), sold out of its first printing. Since launching her consultancy in 2018, she has partnered with Walgreens, Airbnb, Google, Workspace, CWT, Illinois Humanities, and the United Center, to name a few.
DeRondal Bevly
Brand and Communications Strategist
DeRondal Bevly is a nationally recognized communications strategist with over 20 years of experience advising business, civic, philanthropic, and political leaders. As Founder of RubyRose Strategies and President of Strategic Initiatives at the Community Connections Fund, he helps organizations navigate high-stakes moments with clarity, influence, and measurable impact.
DeRondal has led campaigns, stakeholder initiatives, and leadership programs across sectors, working with clients committed to equity and lasting relevance. A Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow and Economic Club of Chicago member, he also serves on boards including Cara Collective and Loyola Medicine. DeRondal teaches public relations and media strategy at Columbia College Chicago.
Eric Benderoff
Media & Speaking Trainer, Communications Strategist
Eric Benderoff is a communications expert with 30 years of experience in journalism and public relations. He leads Benderoff Communications, specializing in executive media training, interview strategy, and message development for business leaders, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs. A former Chicago Tribune columnist and Sun-Times editor, he brings a journalist’s insight to media coaching.
At Burson, a global communications firm, Eric trained executives at major companies like Ford, Accenture, and Bank of America, and guided crisis communications for clients such as Valero and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. He also teaches strategic communications at Michigan State University and co-directs its PR study abroad program in London.
Sarah Brooks
Copywriter and Content Strategist
Sarah Brooks has written more than 100 websites that reflect impact for corporations like Hyatt, nonprofits including the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, and solopreneurs and small marketing teams. She leverages her roots in journalism for an interview-based approach to websites and sales pages called the Website Mirror. The result uncomplicates your approach to connect the dots between what you do, who you are, and how you'll stand out in the marketplace, leading to fresh website content that resonates with your ideal customers and feels authentic to your brand.
Collin Czarnecki
Media and Digital PR Strategist
Collin Czarnecki is the founder of Noble, a boutique digital PR studio specializing in data-driven campaigns that earn national media coverage. With a background as a journalist for Gannett/USA Today Network and nearly a decade in digital PR, Collin approaches campaigns with a newsroom-first mindset rooted in news value, timing, and clarity.
His work has helped brands land placements in outlets such as The New York Times, CNBC, Yahoo, ESPN, TODAY, and Entrepreneur. Collin’s expertise lies in transforming complex topics into headlines the media wants to run, with specialties across verticals like small business, personal finance, food & beverage, travel, and healthcare.
Jared Gibson
LinkedIn and Sales Strategist
Jared is the co-founder of Outworks, a marketing agency that helps executives and founders build influence on LinkedIn and other social channels. He and his team help amplify awareness, authority, and trust by transforming expertise into engaging content that resonates with prospects online and in real life.
With a track record of building and executing high-impact sales and marketing strategies at companies like Crain's Chicago Business and EmPower HR, Jared has helped companies generate millions in revenue, develop scalable outbound programs, and establish lasting brand authority.
More team members’ bios coming soon.
What clients say about our work
Ian Beacraft, Founder and Chief Futurist, Signal + Cipher
“Not only did Tracy help me crystalize my ideas and make them applicable to all audiences, but she also helped me understand and anticipate journalists’ reactions. On top of that, she helped me leverage my SXSW speech to attract a ton of media coverage that was a game-changer for the growth of our business.”
Rachel Zorel, Founder and Creative Director, 7-Layer Studios
”As an agency owner, I hired Tracy for guidance and support to market our agency. Her insight, experience, and accessibility made the process incredibly valuable, which we are still benefiting from nearly a year later.”
Neil Redding, Founder and CEO of Redding Futures
“Tracy has been an amazing partner in both concept and articulation for multiple keynote speeches I've proposed and delivered. We have great fun while expansively exploring ways to translate my often wildly philosophical visions into practical value for audiences, which is hugely valuable. And it's not just for speeches, but also for all the ways I show up in writing and in public. Highly recommend.”
Christi Powell, Mindset and Visualization Strategist
“Since collaborating with Tracy, I’ve seen a huge uptick in inquiries, sales calls, and new clients—and we’re not even done yet. I can’t wait to see what happens when everything is complete. Tracy is an investment that is worth every penny.”
Seth Kravitz, Co-founder of Technori
“Because of Tracy, we were first covered by CBS and then inundated with press coverage. Tracy's PR strategy was a game-changer for our organization and one of the reasons why we grew so fast. I'm incredibly grateful for her support and friendship."
Alex Ruggieri, Commercial Real Estate Broker and Counselor of Real Estate
“I have looked for ages to find someone who could understand my business, and Tracy got it right from the start. She helped me form the right message to clearly define my value proposition. She also put together all the right people to help me through the process of launching my new brand — and I couldn't be happier with the results!”
Sonny Garg, The Institute for Nonviolence Chicago
"Tracy masterfully helped us to realize that the right messaging is not about sound bites or catchy brochures. It is about thoughtfully revisiting and debating why we do the work we do, what our aspirations are, and how we know we're both different and making a difference.
It is through this carefully orchestrated process of organizational inquiry that the messaging reveals itself, and it has proven to resonate deeply with both our internal team and external audiences, including funders."
Erica Bethe Levin, Founder and CEO, Globowl
“Although I've always considered myself PR savvy, traditional PR hasn't always felt like it was working. Tracy armed me with the tools I needed to do it the right way, on my own, and it's been more effective than anything else we've ever tried. She goes above and beyond to support her clients, celebrates every win, and even makes sure we all have fun along the way.”
Dr. Pooja A. Patel, Founder of Aging Together
“Tracy's methodological process helped me define my industry, service offerings, target clients, and long-term vision to create a comprehensive messaging system I could use to better position myself and my company.”